Rangers will be out for revenge on Saturday as they host Dundee United, who are the only team to have defeated them in the Scottish Premiership this season.
The visitors are currently fourth in the table, but they head into the match following consecutive defeats, which is a run that the Terrors want to end.
Match preview
© Reuters
Rangers have truly been the team to beat in the SPL this season, having only lost once so far as they attempt to retain their league title.
Their last four outings have showcased their abilities both offensively and defensively, scoring eight goals while conceding none, winning each match in the process.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has quickly established his own touch on the team and he has only suffered one defeat since taking charge of the Gers following Steven Gerrard's departure.
Rangers beat St Johnstone 2-0 in midweek with goals from Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent just six minutes apart from each other, which helped them keep a four-point gap above Celtic.
Ibrox Stadium has been a fortress for them this season as they have not lost a game at home, which is a record they shall look to extend this weekend.
© Reuters
However, it is a ground that Dundee United will be confident they can get a result at as they are the sole team to have defeated the Gers this season in the SPL.
The Terrors won 1-0 when they last met as Jamie Robinson scored the only goal of the game to grant his side the three points, and that will no doubt create some belief within the group.
Tam Courts shall be wanting to see more from his team than their previous two performances, which saw them defeated by Celtic and Livingston without finding the back of the net in either match.
Away from home, the Terrors have not been as strong this season, losing seven times and conceding 19 goals in the process, which is something they will have to try to address at the weekend.
While they are just five points behind third-placed Hearts, Dundee United will be aware of the fact that only goal difference is keeping them above Motherwell, which adds to the pressure heading into this encounter.
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- D
- W
- W
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- L
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Ryan Jack's injury-plagued season has continued recently, with Van Bronckhorst confirming that he will be out of action until at least 2022.
That is a situation that Kemar Roofe also finds himself in as he has suffered a setback, but outside of that the club have no fresh concerns.
For Dundee United, the build-up to this match has not been ideal due to a COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to speculation that the fixture could end up being postponed.
The Terrors had to cancel a training session in order to try and contain the issue, but it is currently unknown who has tested positive, with at least one player being confirmed to have the virus.
However, both Liam Smith (knee) and Marc McNulty (muscular) will miss out on this fixture due to injuries.
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic; Arfield, Kamara, Aribo; Hagi, Kent, Morelos
Dundee United possible starting lineup:
Siegrist; Freeman, Edwards, Mulgrew, McMann; Harkes, Glass, Fuchs, Niskanen, Pawlett; Clark
We say: Rangers 2-0 Dundee United
While Dundee United were able to gain three points when the two teams met earlier this season, it is going to be a tough task if they want to repeat that feat.
The Gers are in impressive form heading into this game and the fact they have gone four games without conceding a goal is going to breed confidence into the group, which will likely lead to them winning.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rangers win with a probability of 77.23%. A draw had a probability of 15.4% and a win for Dundee United had a probability of 7.36%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rangers win was 2-0 with a probability of 14.71%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (12.47%) and 3-0 (11.57%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (7.24%), while for a Dundee United win it was 0-1 (3.07%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 12.5% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Rangers would win this match.